Keep your eyes open!

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

This is a little off topic, but with all of the 'hanger/ramp rats' that check in here it might be helpful to post it...

I recieved this bulliten from the folks at the National Air Tour today:

Though this breach of security was stopped, it was indicated that NBC and other news agencies might attempt to repeat their efforts at other facilities around the country.

NATA urges operators to continue to be on the alert for security breaches by news agencies "testing the waters" and, more importantly, actual terrorist organizations or individuals intent on doing harm.

Operators nationwide are encouraged to review their security procedures and reinforce their security policies on a regular basis. NATA Members should review the TSA's Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports (http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/edit ... l_1113.xml). Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately to the Airport Watch Hotline at (866) GA SECURE.

The account of the August 11 incident, provided by the director of the St. Louis Downtown Airport follows:

"Earlier today two Middle Eastern men attempted to penetrate our security. They telephoned one of my helicopter FBOs and asked about a charter flight. After discussion of price and directions to the business, they arrived an hour later. When the office agent asked how they were going to pay for the flight they produced cash. When asked for ID, they produced driver's licenses from two different states and they were driving a car licensed in a third state.

Things didn't smell right so the mechanic took them into the hangar to see the aircraft while the office person called the FBI and local police. The helicopter they were going to fly was blocked in by other aircraft so the mechanic was able to stall them by having to slowly shuffle the blocking planes. Meanwhile the two men got their backpacks and odd-shaped luggage out of their car. Soon the local police arrived and they were hauled off to jail in handcuffs.

After a little time behind bars, the FBI verified that the two men were employed by NBC New York and were on assignment to get a story of how easy it is to charter a helicopter for a terrorist attack. The men had stayed in a local hotel and purchased box cutters, leather-man knives, and other potential weapons at the local Wal-Mart using a credit card. The box cutters had been hidden in the lining at the bottom of the backpacks and the other weapons were hidden throughout their baggage. They had audio taped the telephone conversation with Arlene and were going to use it as part of a national news story about how easy it is to get information and directions to the location of the helicopter and then hijack it to commit a terrorist attack.

I doubt they will be back at our airport soon and this is a story that will never be seen since they were caught. A very "well-done" to my FBO and staff and the local FBI and police response forces. We have since learned that we were the first airport where this had been attempted and NBC planned to attempt similar penetration stories around the country. Please help me spread the word to other airports."

For additional information contact:

Beth Van Emburgh Manager, Government & Industry Affairs bvanemburgh@nata-online.org

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2004 1:16 pm

My guess is this is a success that will be lost or turned into the 6:55 part of the news. After all now they don’t have THEIR story.

Guest · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:04 pm

One of the competing networks might run the story.

Ollie · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2004 5:17 pm

That's a pretty bad and silly thing to do...

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

It also means for me, at a personal level, that my excursions to any airports will definitely arouse the suspicion of anyone there.

After all, I am dark skinned, speak with an accent, drive a car with license plates from another state and I am looking at aircraft and taking pictures.

Oh, well, the FBI already has me in their files, thanks to that individual of questionable judgement redneck at the Frankfort, KY airport.

Saludos,

Tulio-ben-aqui

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Tulio wrote:

After all, I am dark skinned, speak with an accent, drive a car with license plates from another state and I am looking at aircraft and taking pictures.

Why don't you just stop speaking with an accent? :?:

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

For the same reason I can't change the color of my skin. Probably has something to do with genes and DNA, or so I'm told.

Saludos,

Tulio

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Tulio wrote:

For the same reason I can't change the color of my skin.

Y'know, I would hate to have to bring up Michael Jackson on this esteemed board... Oops! I just did. :oops:

Jeff · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:41 am **Posts:** 81

Hi Tulio, now you got me wondering what might have happened to cause such a vehement comment about some-one like that from you.

oh, when you got a chance I been checking everywhere I can and can find no record of what happened to the vultee vengeances which were sent to ...... notes not available at the moment but I think it was Brazil.
any info on what happened to them will be very greatly appreciated.

Also, has anyone heard anything about the whaleworld auction of the kingfisher and vengeance and catalina yet?

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Jeff, I will try to find out about the Vengeances.

Well, my comment is grounded on a very nasty experience with the manager of the airport in Frankfort. I showed up in broad daylight, and the same as three or four other people there, walked up to the waist-high fence to look at the airplanes parked in front of the civilian terminal. One of them was a U.S. M.C. jet, I believe a Lear or a Beech, don't remember. The others were civilian and also, two C-23 Sherpas from the U.S. Army. I shot photos of them, like two or three people also did.

From the get go, when I said hello, the guy just turned his back on me. I walked into the terminal to look for a copy of the Controller newspaper and also to look at any photos on the walls. He was right behind me, asking in a very nasty attitude, what did I want there.

To make this long story short, when I was leaving, I saw him hiding behind a fuel truck, writing down something on a piece of paper while looking at my truck. That got my blood boiling, and I went to him, with my personal and government contractor I.D. and offered to tell him whatever he wanted.

He basically accused me of being some sort of terrorist. That is when I let him have it, with both barrels and with my most colorful Texas-based anti-racist tirade. I knew I had hit a sore spot, so I just told him all I thought about him and his one-branched family tree.

I reported the incident to the state police , and also to the Govt. guys I was working with at the time. Two months later, back home, I found out that the FBI had tried to search my apartment -without a warrant- but my landlady told them no. I called them, and although the guy was nice, I was left with the bad feeling that they were not on the up and up with me.

I invited him to come over and to check my place, and I was adamant that as long as it is legal to visit airports and to shoot pictures, I will continue doing so in the exercise of my rights.

I probably have more photos of the airplanes that there were at that airport, from books and magazines, than the two or three photos I shot of each one.

And, the airport manager after reading my driver's license and refusing to write down the information on it, reported me as a "middle easterner" behaving suspiciously.

With the passing of time, it has become a joke, but sometimes, the idiocy of the half-assed security ideas that these people have, get my blood boiling again.

The FBI guy told me that they have many reports of people taking photos of monuments and landmarks. My answer: Those people are called TOURISTS!!!

Saludos,

Tulio

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2004 11:32 am

I hope the news crew is sent to jail. I'm tired of these people thinking its okay to violate the laws of this country in order to get a story. I think the reporter, the crew, and the assignment editor/producer should spent time in jail.

Jeff · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:41 am **Posts:** 81

Well, you lot are not alone in that sort of thing, as in the news crew business, happening. we have had a couple of "celebrities" do similar things here in australia. one of them managed to sneak a knife onto a plane and then surrendered it to the crew ( if I remember the story correctly ) and then complained about being thrown off the plane.

as for the "redneck" ( got to learn an accurate translation for that one day ) all I can say is there are overzealous and incompetant and inconsiderate people everywhere. My step son while sitting and waiting with out car once while it was parked in the airport parking lot while we had to go somewhere, get the spare keys I think as I had locked the keys in the car, was not only grabbed and searched by airport security but also had this done to him at gunpoint.

now the cutest bits, he was 16 years old and was sitting on the bonnet of the car in plain sight. this was also some 12 years ago way before any sort of real terrorist scares here in south australia. He never even got told they were sorry and I never managed to get an apology from them either. all I got told was " we've had a number of cars broken into. we thought he might have been one of the people doing it."

setter · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2004 5:05 am

Hi all

The Vengance and Kingfisher have been sold and relocated and I am not at liberty to say where but it will emerge very soon - a very exciting development. I don't think there will be any whinges over what is to happen

I will respect the confidence of those involved and I am sure they will be proud to announce their aquisitions in due course.

Regards
John Parker

Jeff · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:41 am **Posts:** 81

well, as long as it is somewhere that I can visit and see the only other vengeance in the world ( seen the one in narellan a couple years ago ) then I'll be happy.

setter · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:04 am

Hi Jeff

That depends on where you live ?

Regards
John P

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